ONS: 21 November 2015

AFRICA: The Malian government declared a 10-day nationwide state of emergency after at least 27 people were killed in a jihadists’ attack at a top hotel in Bamako.

AMERICAS: Thousands of Haitians demanding that last month’s presidential election be annulled clashed with supporters of the government, resulting in at least one death.

ASIA: Afghan Minister for Refugees and Repatriation Affairs Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi appealed to European countries not to expel Afghan asylum seekers and instead deal with them in accordance with the situation in the country and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that Kabul signed with them.

EUROPE: As the hunt for jihadists widens after last week’s Paris attacks, authorities in Greece warned it was virtually impossible to pick out dangerous extremists among arriving migrants, without prior intelligence.

MIDDLE EAST: According to a monitor, at least 36 people in Syria were killed in air strikes by Russian and Syrian jets on Islamic State-controlled Deir Ezzor province, describing them as the heaviest in the region since the start of the war.

TECHNOLOGY: The website of Japan’s Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry remained inaccessible after the government confirmed the website initially went down, and officials said the international group of hackers known as Anonymous may be responsible for the attack.

TOP STORY

Belgium: Brussels was put on its highest terror alert indicating a “serious and imminent” threat.

○ In a statement from the Belgian Interior Ministry, “Following our latest evaluation… the center has raised its terror alert to level 4, signifying a very serious threat, for the Brussels region.”

○ Prime Minister Charles Michel said the decision to raise the terror alert level in the Brussels region was taken “based on quite precise information about the risk of an attack like the one that happened in Paris.”

○ Authorities announced the metro system would be closed for at least 24 hours and all underground stations of the light-rail tram lines were also shut.

○ Belgian PM Michel told a news conference the Belgian government will review the security situation in Brussels on Sunday afternoon.

Mali: State forces and Western military advisers whisked hostages out of the chaotic lobby of the hotel in which gunmen had been holding 170 hostages. (WSJ)

Mali: The government declared a 10-day nationwide state of emergency after at least 27 people were killed in a jihadists’ attack at a top hotel in Bamako. (AFP)

Nigeria: The co-founder of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign urged world leaders to do more to help hunt down Boko Haram militants and rescue hundreds of schoolgirls abducted more than a year ago. (Reuters)

AMERICAS

Argentina: Police evacuated a historically sensitive human rights center after it received bomb threats, two days before a potentially transformative presidential election. (AFP)

Haiti: Thousands of citizens demanding that last month’s presidential election be annulled clashed with supporters of the government, resulting in at least one death. (AP)

Venezuela: The Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) condemned the acts of espionage allegedly perpetrated by the U.S. government over a decade against the country’s national oil company, PDVSA. (Xinhua)

ASIA

Region: A U.S. Navy official said the Navy will likely carry out another patrol within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands in the South China Sea before the end of the year. (Reuters)

Afghanistan: Afghan Minister for Refugees and Repatriation Affairs Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi appealed to European countries not to expel Afghan asylum seekers and instead deal with them in accordance with the situation in the country and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that Kabul signed with them. (Xinhua)

Japan: Representatives began attending U.N. Security Council meetings, the first day of the country’s observer status eligibility six weeks ahead of its record 11th term as a non-permanent member. (Kyodo)

EUROPE

Region: As the hunt for jihadists widens after last week’s Paris attacks, authorities in Greece warned it was virtually impossible to pick out dangerous extremists among arriving migrants, without prior intelligence. (AFP)

Turkey: According to local media, a lawmaker from the country’s main pro-Kurdish party who was elected to parliament this month was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in jail for membership of a “terrorist organisation.” (Independent)

MIDDLE EAST

Region: The UN Security Council authorized countries to “take all necessary measures” to fight the Islamic State group in a resolution that won unanimous backing a week after the Paris attacks. (BBC)

Iraq: The Islamic State jihadist group claimed responsibility for an attack at a Shiite mosque south of the capital that officials said killed at least six people. (AFP)

Israel: According to radio officials, a West Bank-based Palestinian radio station has been shut down for six months on charges of incitement by order of Israeli authorities. (DPA)

Syria: According to a monitor, at least 36 people were killed in air strikes by Russian and Syrian jets on Islamic State-controlled Deir Ezzor province, describing them as the heaviest in the region since the start of the war. (AFP)

Syria: According to a monitoring group, opposition rebels regained two northern villages close to the Turkish border from Islamic State, in a setback to the extremist militia. (DPA)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

Cyber Security: The website of Japan’s Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry remained inaccessible after the government confirmed the website initially went down, and officials said the international group of hackers known as Anonymous may be responsible for the attack. (Xinhua)